Westfjords Mittens Knitting Kit – Icelandic Wool Mittens Pattern

Design: Harpa Ólafsdóttir / Hörpugull

Icelandic mittens have long been knitted in a wide variety of patterns, and old knitting patterns from the Westfjords provided the inspiration for Harpa's design.

Harpa has been knitting her Westfjords Mittens for over thirty years, and they have remained a popular part of her work throughout that time. Over the years, a number of pairs have been commissioned as gifts for foreign heads of state visiting Iceland. It means a great deal to us that this small design, rooted in Icelandic knitting tradition, has travelled beyond Iceland in this way.

The dense knitted fabric and Icelandic wool make the mittens warm, while the colourwork gives the Westfjords Mittens their distinctive character.

The kit is available with worsted wool yarn from Wool by Dóra -either natural Icelandic sheep colours or hand-dyed by Hörpugull.

Included:

• Materials for size M (women's): 93 g of Worsted yarn (Wool by Dóra-Þingborgartvíband), made from Icelandic lambswool, in three colours – either natural sheep colours or hand-dyed by Hörpugull
• Detailed knitting pattern in Icelandic and English

Skill level: Intermediate
Suitable for knitters who know the basic knitting techniques and are ready to work with colourwork and patterns on smaller needles.

Inspired by old Westfjords knitting patterns

Icelandic mittens have long been knitted in a wide variety of patterns, and old knitting patterns from the Westfjords provided the inspiration for Harpa's design.

The dense knitted fabric and Icelandic wool make the mittens warm, while the colourwork gives the Westfjords Mittens their distinctive character.

Frequently asked questions

Is this kit suitable for beginners?
The kit is best suited to knitters who know the basic knitting techniques and have some experience with colourwork. The mittens are knitted on 2.5 mm and 3 mm needles, so it helps to be comfortable working with fine double-pointed needles.

What is Þingborgartvíband?
Þingborgartvíband is a spun yarn made from carefully selected, first-quality Icelandic lambswool and produced by Ístex for Dóruband. As with Þingborgarlopi, emphasis is placed on gentle processing so that the natural characteristics of the Icelandic wool are retained as much as possible.

The natural-coloured yarn is completely undyed – its colours are the natural colours of Icelandic sheep, straight from the sheep.

Read more about Þingborgarlopi – yarn and how it is made.

Will the colours be exactly as shown in the photos?
The natural sheep colours should be very similar to those shown in the photos, although natural wool can always have slight variations in shade.

Our hand-dyed yarn is dyed in small batches, so shades may vary slightly between dye lots and individual skeins. This variation is part of the nature of hand-dyed yarn.

Looking for more colours?

Explore our full range of hand-dyed Icelandic lopi yarn from Hörpugull, or discover other knitting kits inspired by Icelandic knitting traditions.